Preparing for the End of the Public Health Emergency: Stark, HIPAA, Medicare, and Other Regulatory Compliance

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Speaking Engagement

McDonald Hopkins' Rick Hindmand will be speaking as part of a panel during this virtual event presented by Strafford.

The White House announced that the public health emergency will end on May 11, 2023, bringing an end to some of the regulatory flexibility provided by the federal government. As a result, healthcare providers and companies need to be prepared for the end of the waivers and changes as regulations and requirements revert to what they were pre-pandemic.

HHS has warned providers that most of the PHE waivers will end upon termination of the PHE or soon thereafter and providers should prepare now for a return to normal standards. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other agencies published guidance summarizing the COVID-19 waivers, which guidance serves as a roadmap for compliance as the PHE ends. While each healthcare facility has unique challenges, this guidance should prove helpful in navigating the process of preparing for the end of the PHE.

Listen as our authoritative panel of healthcare attorneys provides a brief overview of the waivers and modifications that were prompted by the PHE. The panel will discuss what healthcare organizations need to consider as they begin unwinding changes made due to the waivers and modifications. The panel will review the CMS guidance that serves as a roadmap for compliance as the PHE ends. The panel will offer best practices for preparing for the end of the PHE and the changes it will bring.

Outline

Waivers and modifications put in place during the PHE
Expiration dates for PHE flexibilities
Key considerations for unwinding changes as the PHE expires
Ensuring compliance with changing requirements
Best practices healthcare organizations should employ as the end of the PHE nears

Over the past 24 months, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has brought notable enforcement efforts against several non-profit covered entities and business associates, resulting in instances of six and seven-figure penalties against providers across the county for incidents involving breaches of protected health information.

A new amendment to New York state law, which would have required all healthcare providers to obtain separate consents from patients for treatment and payment is on hold until further guidance is released, according to the New York Department of Health.

On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule 2025 final rule, which establishes new advanced primary care management billing codes that will expand opportunities for physician practices, federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics and other health care providers to get paid for services provided by clinical staff under the direction of a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant beginning January 1, 2025.

Preparing for the End of the Public Health Emergency: Stark, HIPAA, Medicare, and Other Regulatory Compliance

Outline

Speakers

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